Loading vmware with pre-existing bootcamp partition

Is this really the best way to do it? In reading the docs I don't see any mention of a downside... it just says you *can* do it. But being the purist that I am I wonder if I shouldn't just ditch the boot camp partition and start all over. If vmware works I can't see a reason for ever wanting to boot XP through boot camp again. With vmware I'll be able to share disk space (for my work) right? So I'd like to get all that disk space back.

Running MBP C2D 2.4GHz, 2GB. Brand new to the Mac world... I now feel like an idiot for waiting so long... OSX is unbelievable!

 

Video editing... Yes, I do plan to run Premier Pro once in a while, but everything else would be pretty easy on the CPUs. The main reason I started looking at vmware to begin with is that this thing runs so bloody hot in boot camp windows. And I never hear the fans come on!

I suppose letting it crunch away on a video for a while (which I haven't tried yet) should tell me if there's a serious problem, but trying it worries me.